Is Brad Pitt feeling a little guilty about saying he might have to break his big promise not to marry Angelina Jolie until his homosexual brethren can do the same?

The American Foundation for Equal Rights, the plaintiff in California's never-ending court battle to overturn Proposition 8, is announcing this morning that Pitt has accepted a starring role in Saturday's live reading of "8," a play about the trial.

The Moneyball hunk will be playing...

... Judge Vaughn Walker, the appeals-court judge whose pro-gay-marriage ruling was called into question when opponents found out he was gay.

The play, as directed by Rob Reiner, will be read at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. But since those tickets are long gone, and because we all equally deserve the right to watch Pitt do his best old-gay-man impression, the entire show will be livestreamed on YouTube.

George Clooney and Martin Sheen are already signed on to play head plaintiffs. Here's the rest of the cast (click to enlarge):

After (another) historic declaration last month, by three U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judges, that banning gay marriage in California was unconstitutional, the defendants are still fighting back. Sigh. But while we're waiting for an obvious civil-rights infringement to be righted, it sure makes good theater.

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AFER's president, Chad Griffin, on the importance of "8":

"At long last each and every American will be able to see for themselves what happens when prejudice and fear are put on trial in a court of law," said AFER Board President Chad Griffin. "For over two years, the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 have fought tooth and nail to hide their discriminatory arguments from the American people. But on Saturday night, thanks to YouTube and our incredible cast, people across the nation, from Los Angeles to Little Rock to Baltimore, will get to watch as our Constitution's promise of liberty and equality for all is protected."